The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) — the bridge many students expect between graduation and skilled migration — carried several changes into 2026 that quietly narrow who qualifies.
What changed
- Age limit reduced to 35 at the time of application (previously higher).
- English lifted: applicants generally need IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each band, and results issued within 12 months before applying.
- Fee increased in the 1 July 2026 charge round (with a lower fee available from 1 March 2026 for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens).
- Onshore switching narrowed: students on visitor or temporary graduate visas generally can no longer switch to a student visa from within Australia — those applications now go offshore.
Why intake screening matters
Each of these is an early, hard gate. A student who assumes a 485 pathway may be over the age limit, short on English, or unable to switch onshore — and the time to discover that is at intake, not months later when they’re relying on it.
What this means for your practice
The value here is catching the disqualifier early and setting honest expectations. That’s a screening problem: date of birth against the age limit, English scores and their validity window, current visa against the switching rules.
When a student’s key facts are captured once at intake and checked against current requirements, ineligibility surfaces immediately instead of derailing a matter later. Building that screening into the file — across both the education and migration desks — is what Centrio is for.
This is general information, not migration or legal advice. Requirements, fees and dates were accurate at publication and change often — always confirm against the primary source before advising a client.
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